Based on the different sensitivities of material properties to temperature between ultrahigh temperature ceramics (UHTCs) and traditional ceramics, the original empirical formula of temperature-dependent Young's modulus of ceramic materials is unable to describe the temperature dependence of Young's modulus of UHTCs which are used as thermal protection materials. In this paper, a characterization applied to Young's modulus of UHTC materials under high temperature which is revised from the original empirical formula is established. The applicable temperature range of the characterization extends to the higher temperature zone. This study will provide a basis for the characterization for strength and fracture toughness of UHTC materials and provide theoretical bases and technical reserves for the UHTC materials' design and application in the field of spacecraft.

Compared with single-phase ceramics, the thermal shock crack propagation mechanism of multiphase layered ceramics is more complex. There is no experimental method and theoretical framework that can fully reveal the thermal shock damage mechanism of ceramic materials. Therefore, a multiphase phase-field fracture model including the temperature dependence of material for thermal shock-induced fracture of multilayer ceramics is established. In this study, the effects of residual stress on the crack propagation of ATZ (Al₂O₃-5%tZrO₂)/AMZ (Al₂O₃-30%mZrO₂) layered ceramics with different layer thickness ratios, layers, and initial temperatures under bending and thermal shock were investigated. Simulation results of the fracture phase field under four-point bending are in good agreement with the experimental results, and the crack propagation shows a step shape, which verifies the effectiveness of the proposed method. With constant thickness, high-strength compressive stress positively changes with the layer thickness ratio, which contributes to crack deflection. The cracks of the ceramic material under thermal shock have hierarchy and regularity. When the layer thickness ratio is constant, the compressive residual stress decreases with the increase in the layer number, and the degree of thermal shock crack deflection decreases.

Taking the hafnium diboride ceramic as an example, the effects of heating rate, cooling rate, thermal shock initial temperature, and external constraint on the thermal shock resistance (TSR) of ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) were studied through numerical simulation in this paper. The results show that the external constraint has an approximately linear influence on the critical rupture temperature difference of UHTCs. The external constraint prepares a compressive stress field in the structure because of the predefined temperature field, and this compressive stress field relieves the tension stress in the structure when it is cooled down and then it improves the TSR of UHTCs. As the thermal shock initial temperature, a danger heating rate (or cooling rate) exists where the critical temperature difference is the lowest.